Invariants of r-spin TQFTs and non-semisimplicity

Nils Carqueville, Ehud Meir, Lóránt Szegedy (Corresponding author)

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

For a positive integer r, an r-spin topological quantum field theory is a 2-dimensional TQFT with tangential structure given by the r-fold cover of SO2. In particular, such a TQFT assigns a scalar invariant to every closed r-spin surface Σ. Given a sequence of scalars indexed by the set of diffeomorphism classes of all such Σ, we construct a symmetric monoidal category C and a C-valued r-spin TQFT which reproduces the given sequence. We also determine when such a sequence arises from a TQFT valued in an abelian category with finite-dimensional Hom spaces. In particular, we construct TQFTs with values in super vector spaces that can distinguish all diffeomorphism classes of r-spin surfaces, and we show that the Frobenius algebras associated to such TQFTs are necessarily non-semisimple.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)101-128
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of Algebra
Volume664/Part A
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Feb 2025

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 103019 Mathematical physics
  • 103024 Quantum field theory

Keywords

  • Frobenius algebras
  • Spin structures
  • Symmetric monoidal categories
  • Topological quantum field theory

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